Holding Their Hearts Forever
by Gracielinn
Summary: "As much fun as the Logan twins have with their mother, their undisputed favorite tea party guest is their father..." Just a little Lyatt fluff for Father's Day. One-shot future fic, Lucy POV.


Holding Their Hearts Forever

_A/N #1: I'd like to give a big shout out to one of my Twitter friends, Elodie, whose adorable tweet/GIF on Dad's Day inspired this story–thank you so much :) Also, I'm excited to share with all of you that not only is this the first time I've written about the Logan twins, it happens to be my 40__th__ Timeless fic..._

"_A girl's first true love is her father." - Marisol Santiago_

"_A daughter needs a dad to be the standard against which she will judge all men..." - Unknown_

Unlocking the front door and letting herself in, Lucy toed off the high-heeled pumps she was wearing and sighed in relief. _Friday afternoons were the best_, she reflected, dropping her bag and car keys on the small table in the foyer, especially with nothing in the foreseeable future but a long, relaxed weekend with her family. At the absence of excited squeals and the pounding of little feet, it was probably safe to assume the other members of the Preston-Logan household were either upstairs or outside.

Her nose led Lucy to the kitchen, where something that smelled incredible was simmering in the large slow cooker on the counter top. She inhaled blissfully. Of the numerous fine qualities her wonderful husband possessed, his better-than-average abilities in the kitchen definitely held a special place in her heart _(and stomach_, she thought wryly). Lucy's lack of interest in cooking was no secret to anyone who knew her well...even her four-year-old daughters were aware Mommy's culinary prowess was limited to pretty basic offerings like canned soup and scrambled eggs with toast. Fortunately, in the twins' eyes, the parental status quo was still fairly evenly maintained since their mother was a whiz with girlie things that Daddy wanted no part of, like braiding hair and painting tiny nails with glittery polish.

A hasty glance out the kitchen window over the sink revealed an empty back yard. _Upstairs then_. Snagging a bottle of water from the fridge, Lucy quietly headed up the steps, and ducking inside the master bedroom, changed into a pair of comfy leggings and a thin cardigan worn over one of Wyatt's white tees. Padding down the thickly-carpeted hallway towards the girls' room, she could hear the faint murmur of her husband's deep voice mingling with the high-pitched chatter of their daughters.

Coming to a halt just outside the open door, Lucy peeked around the corner and smiled wistfully. It felt like the years since bringing the girls home from the hospital had flown by so quickly–going on five now–and while life raising twins could be challenging at times, she and Wyatt thoroughly enjoyed every minute. It seemed like just yesterday, Michelle Christopher was helping them decorate the airy, spacious room in cheerful shades of pale blue and sunny yellow. Aside from the room she shared with her husband, this was Lucy's favorite place in the whole house.

Although the matching soft white cribs had been replaced a couple years ago by feminine toddler beds the girls were already close to outgrowing, much of the space stayed the same. Books of all kinds were neatly lined up on shelves Wyatt lovingly built by hand while she was pregnant, and in one corner of the room, the brightly-painted wooden chest from Uncle Connor overflowed with an abundance of treasured toys. In the other corner of the room beside a large double window sat a sturdy miniature table and four chairs, currently occupied by two small preschoolers and one large male.

_By all rights_, she mused fondly, _he should've looked awkward or maybe a little silly, or at the very least, uncomfortable_. And yet, perched rather gracefully on a chair clearly meant for a young child, wearing a cowboy hat and knees bent nearly up to his chin, all six feet and 175 pounds of Wyatt Logan was none of those things. The unlikely juxtaposition of rugged masculinity and a room inhabited by tiny females was both charming and slightly amusing at the same time. Lucy's heart swelled with love at the sweet picture her husband and daughters made as they sat around the table enjoying imaginary refreshments.

Ever since Denise and Michelle gifted the twins with the amazingly elaborate tea party set for their fourth birthdays, the girls' bedroom had been the scene of many a lively soiree. The usual guest list included several favorite dolls and well-loved stuffed animals, with random cameo appearances by one or both of the family cats, PB (peanut butter) and Jelly...whenever the girls could catch them. Because Lucy's teaching schedule at the university was more flexible than Wyatt's, with lectures two days a week and Friday morning office hours, she had a standing invitation for the tea parties and managed to attend often. As much "girls only" fun as they had with their mother, however, Flynn and Amy's undisputed favorite guest was their father.

"_A father holds his daughters' hands for a short while, but he holds their hearts forever." - Unknown_

Regrettably, Daddy didn't have as much free time to spend with his daughters as Mommy did. Serving as Denise's second-in-command in the Special Services division of the NSA, Wyatt had an oftentimes demanding job–_though not nearly as insane or dangerous as time traveling, thank God_-one that he naturally excelled at, but fortunately also enjoyed very much. The only downside, at least as far as Wyatt was concerned, was the extra time spent away from his family when he was required to travel or work the occasional evening assignment.

As a way to make it up to the twins (and pacify his vaguely guilty conscience), around the time they turned a year old, he sat down with his superior and respectfully (_but quite firmly_) requested most Friday afternoons off-precious hours each week reserved especially for time with Daddy. Once the work week ended, Wyatt hurried home to change out of his suit and tie, adamant the rest of the afternoon belonged strictly to his little girls, to spend any way they wanted. At first, a little uncertain about managing two toddlers on his own, he'd tended to stick close to home, but as they got older and sturdier (_and potty trained_), he would frequently strap the twins into their car seats and venture out to the park or the petting zoo for a few hours after demolishing Happy Meals at their favorite lunch spot, McDonalds.

When they were old enough, Amy and Flynn began taking turns choosing the activity of the day, which any given week, might include anything from romping around the back yard playing "boot camp" to visiting the playground located a couple blocks away from their home to beginner cooking lessons to today's choice, the always popular "tea party."

Because half the fun of tea party was dressing up, Lucy had shopped around local thrift shops and neighborhood yard sales and assembled a variety of different costumes and accessories, including jewelry and a wide assortment of hats. The twins loved playing dress up and reacted enthusiastically when presented with the large plastic tote. _"Imagine how excited they'd have been to see the costume bay at Mason," _Wyatt had whispered to Lucy with a wink. Especially captivated by the hats, the sisters quickly decided everyone having tea must wear one, usually selected by the hostesses themselves.

Wearing her favorite tiara, Amy carefully handed out dainty cups of pretend tea while her backward ball cap-wearing sister offered their guest of honor his choice of surprisingly realistic plastic sweets like slices of cake roll and chocolate chip cookies. "Okay, Daddy, what kind of dessert do you want today?" she asked eagerly. Before Wyatt could answer, Amy stopped what she was doing, shaking her dark curls vehemently in disapproval at her twin.

"Not 'Daddy,' Flynnie," she huffed in annoyance, "He's the cowboy today...see the cowboy hat on his head? You gotta call him Cowboy Wyatt." The usually quiet Amy turned out to be a real stickler for tea party etiquette, which tickled Wyatt but tended to frustrate her easygoing, more rambunctious sister. Much to Lucy's amusement, ever since finding out Daddy was born and raised in Texas, both girls had become fascinated with cowboys and horses and in general, anything to do with the old West. As a joke, she'd found a used Stetson and added it to the costume box, which the delighted twins frequently insisted Wyatt wear.

In response, Flynn rolled her eyes and putting a small hand on the side of her mouth, stage whispered stubbornly, "Don't care, Sissy, I'm not wrong–-even if the cowboy hat is on his head, he's still Daddy...right, Daddy?" Two dark heads swiveled to watch their father expectantly while he struggled manfully to keep a straight face. Putting a hand over her mouth, Lucy muffled the giggle threatening to escape as she watched her husband attempt to diplomatically defuse the situation. Laughing was not an option since their girls were not only quite intelligent, with vivid imaginations, but also rather sensitive at times as well. From past experience, both parents knew how easily the tender feelings of four-year-old females could be hurt.

"_The love between a father and daughter is forever..." - Anonymous_

Pushing the Stetson off his forehead at a rakish angle, Wyatt cleared his throat and regarded his daughters solemnly for a few seconds before responding. "Well, little ladies, I'd have to say both of you are right," holding a hand up when the twins immediately frowned and began to protest. "Now, hear me out," he advised calmly, waiting patiently for them to quiet down before continuing, "Amy, when Daddy has a cowboy hat on his head, it's definitely okay to call me Cowboy because we're pretending, but Flynn is right, too, because I'm still Daddy, and always will be, no matter what. So both names are right. Kind of like when her students call your mom Professor Preston at school, but to the two of you, she is always Mommy. Does that make sense?"

Evidently, Wyatt's reasoning was perfectly logical because after only a moment's hesitation, the twins looked at each other and nodded enthusiastically. And just like that, crisis averted. Before they welcomed the twins, Lucy would've sworn she couldn't love Wyatt the husband more than she already did. Wyatt the father, however, shattered that theory from the second the tiny, helpless newborns had been placed in his arms, despite suffering moments of self doubt during her pregnancy stemming from his abusive childhood. Watching him interact so lovingly with Amy and Flynn and seeing how much they reciprocated those feelings of adoration-not to mention the way Wyatt's confidence in his parenting abilities grew-completely stole her heart. Marveling at her husband's ease and infinite patience with his young daughters, Lucy was reminded of the day the newlyweds discovered the two babies she was carrying were both girls...

_Flashback_

Clinging tightly to Wyatt's strong, calloused hand, Lucy shivered when the ultrasound tech folded back the ill-fitting exam gown to above her waist and deftly smeared a chilly glob of translucent gel around her already good-size baby bump. After the previous scan four weeks ago revealed the shocking news they were expecting twins, Lucy was understandably a little nervous today. Sensing her barely noticeable distress, Wyatt leaned in to murmur soothingly against her ear. "You're doing great, Sweetheart. I'm sure there's still only two of them floating around in there," he teased, a mischievous glint in his azure eyes.

_Triplets? Or more? The man better be kidding. _Sending a fierce glare in Wyatt's direction and ignoring his unrepentant shrug, Lucy gritted out in a low undertone, "Not helping here, Mr. Logan," before re-focusing her attention on the small gray screen beside the exam table. As the whooshing sound of amniotic fluid blended with the babies' faint but rhythmic heartbeats filled the exam room, she gradually began to relax.

As her obstetrician watched intently, the tech, a pleasant woman around their age named Norah, moved the wand firmly and consistently over Lucy's stomach for a minute or two before zeroing in on a particular spot and holding steady. "Good news, Lucy and Wyatt. Your little ones' heartbeats are strong and stable, and both babies seem to be growing at a normal rate, with Baby 'A' perhaps just under an ounce heavier than Baby 'B.' I think they're in a good position right now for us to make a fairly educated guess if you'd like to know their gender."

The parents-to-be turned to look at each other. Lucy bit her lip and whispered, "I guess we should have discussed this sooner. It might be kind of fun to be surprised, but if we find out now, I would probably feel better prepared. What do you think?" She would be fine with whatever Wyatt decided, but couldn't help searching his face a bit anxiously.

A long moment passed between them before her husband smiled tenderly, his dark blue eyes glowing with happiness. "Let's go for it, Professor," he urged, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips.

Nodding her head, Lucy squeezed Wyatt's hand and blurted out, "Yes! We'd like to know," before unconsciously holding her breath.

Norah and the doctor exchanged glances before the tech declared with a big grin, "They're both girls." Lucy exhaled abruptly and blinked away sudden tears at a fleeting, bittersweet thought of Amy. _Two little girls...sisters..._

Shaking Wyatt's hand, the doctor offered her congratulations and teased kindly, "Looks like you're about to be outnumbered, Dad." But her husband was clearly too thrilled to mind.

Looking at his wife with a soft smile, Wyatt gently squeezed Lucy's hand and gazing into her eyes, replied, "And more than happy to be, Doc." Tremulously returning his smile, she reflected what a special, life-changing moment this was-one of the happiest of their lives, ranking right up there with the day they became man and wife–and one that would be surpassed only by the day the twins were born...

_End Flashback_

Filing away the sweet memory for another time, she stepped through the doorway and merrily called out, "Hey, can anybody come to this fancy tea party, or do I need a special invitation?" Shrieking in surprise, the twins jumped up from the table and running toward their mother, flung chubby arms around her waist, nearly knocking Lucy over.

Caressing their baby-soft cheeks and unruly raven curls, Lucy listened intently as Flynn and Amy chattered excitedly about their afternoon with Daddy. Glancing over the twins' heads at her husband, she smiled and her heart beat faster at the unguarded emotion on his handsome face as he watched all of his girls proudly. Like her, her daughters were blessed to be loved by a man like Wyatt Logan-so blessed to have him for their father. _And so was the newest member of their family, _Lucy mused, unconsciously cupping the faint curve of her stomach...

"_No other love in the world is like the love a father has for his little girls..." - Unknown_

_A/N #2: Hope you enjoy this short, spur-of-the-moment "twin-fic" about little Amy and Flynn Logan that got in my brain and demanded to be written, lol. No matter how many times I watch the Timeless Christmas movie, I never get tired of the scene from 2023 of Wyatt with the twins (sure wish we'd been treated to more). I love the idea that this character put his horrible childhood and past heartbreak behind him to become a loving husband to Lucy and a wonderful father to these two little girls they share. As always, thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement-it's much appreciated! And now back to writing chapter 36 of Guarding My Heart :))_


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